


To the sky

by Yve



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Rune Factory (Video Games), Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon, Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon, Rune Factory 4, Rune Factory Frontier, Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny
Genre: Amnesia, Multi, Pokemon AU, Pokemon Journey, Runemon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-05-23 13:32:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6117966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yve/pseuds/Yve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With no memory of her past except her name, Frey awakens in a hospital in the small town of Vaniville. All she knows is a driving fascination with pokémon, and when an unexpected benefactor offers to take her to get her first pokémon and go on a journey, the doors to her new life swing wide open.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Girl From Nowhere

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Rune Factory fanfic set in the world of Pokémon. All the significant characters in the fic will be pulled form the Rune Factory universe. I'll add more character tags as I go along, but they will come from any and all of the RF games. There will also be relationships in this fic, but the primary focus is not shipping and romance; it's adventure and wonder and friendship!
> 
> I'll be adding more character tags as I go along and add them to the story.

Wind. A rushing, whirling tempest howled all around her as she fell, the scream stolen from her throat without a sound, air gone from her lungs in the vacuum of the storm of wind.

Something collided with her; a startled yelp and a thud. Then nothing...

* * *

The first thing she became aware of was a pounding headache. She groaned, lifting a weak hand to her forehead. Her hand was inhibited, motion constricted by a blood pressure cuff and heart monitor. Her fingers encountered monitors affixed to her forehead and temples. Brow furrowed in confusion, she tried to sit up, only to be discouraged by a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Lie still miss. You've had an accident. We're still trying to make sure you're alright before you move about." She obeyed, relaxing back into what felt like the crisp, utilitarian sheets of a hospital bed. The voices of a woman and man, quiet, calm and professional exchanged words several times. She slipped in and out of focus as she listened to them, catching only parts of their conversation.

"Where did you say she was found?" The man asked quietly.

"The champion brought her in. No identification either. Seems this little Jane Doe just... fell from the sky or something, as odd as that sounds..."

"Audi...audino..." A third voice joined, high pitched and inhuman. A Pokémon? She wondered dimly.

"What did the MRI tell us?"

"No sign of bleeding or deep bruising. If she has a concussion it's a very mild one."

"Better keep her on observation for now, just to be sure. See if you can find out any more about her while we're at it."

"Of course..." The woman answered. Footsteps sounded on a laminate floor as the man left the room. "Dear?" The doctor, or nurse more likely, asked in a kindly voice. "What is your name?"

She blinked... realizing she could not remember it. Confusion tumbled about in her mind. It was as though everything she had known had been dumped out of a bookshelf onto the floor and now required a lot of sifting and a bit of luck to find it.

"I..." She began, struggling to dredge the information up out of her fatigued brain. Finally, something congealed into coherent phonemes in her head. "Frey..." She said finally. "I'm pretty sure my name is Frey."

"Pretty sure?" The nurse echoed. "Oh my..." She paged the doctor back into the room a moment later. His name was Dr. Jones, apparently, based on the placard on the exam room door.

"What is it, Nancy?"

"I think this young woman may have suffered a brain injury after all."

"What makes you say that?"

"She had difficulty remembering her name." Frey listened to them with half-coherent interest. Everything still felt foggy... indistinct. The pair talked back and forth for a little while longer while she dozed half-asleep there on the bed until Dr. Jones addressed her directly.

"Where are you from, Frey?" He asked slowly, enunciating his words with care. She blinked at him, brow furrowed in concentration, but this time the information did not rise to the surface of her jumbled, muddy consciousness. "What happened to you this morning?" Still nothing. "What year is it?" She blinked again. Something told her this was something she especially should have known. Not knowing meant something was wrong with her... didn't it?

"Amnesia..." The nurse sighed in a hushed voice. The Doctor 'hm'ed an agreement. Frey waited with dimmed interest as the pair took notes, asked her questions to which she could not give answers, and generally kept her from having a nap that her body and mind desperately wanted to transition her into. Finally, they let her go to sleep where the headache had less of a hold on her. Sweet, smothering darkness embraced her and snuffed out the bright lights and machine noises of the hospital room.  


* * *

Frey awoke with a startled intake of breath this time, eyes snapping open and awareness whipping into place in a heartbeat. Her eyes darted around, noting the clean, steril, but mostly empty hospital room as soon as she awoke. The pounding in her head had ceased. She could think more clearly now. But... the mess that had been her recent cluttered mind was empty of any useful information that might give context to her recent life. Try as she might, she could not sift out of herself any intelligence on where, when, and who she was beyond the simple sound of her given name... 'Frey'.

Before long the humming, beeping instruments summoned the doctor and the nurse and they began asking questions again. Frey's answers, though just as unenlightening as before, were much more coherent than last time, and so the nurse began to explain things to her, instead of turning away as soon as Frey gave another response.

"You've had an accident dear. You're in the hospital. We don't see any sign of serious physical injury, but it appears you are suffering from a form of memory loss." Frey nodded.

"Yeah... Sure seems that way." She reached up and began to peel off one of the sensors stuck to her forehead. A small bird with a red cap of feathers and a black beak landed atop her head and pecked at her reaching fingers.

"Fletch! Ling!" The bird pokémon peeped vigorously.

"Oh, not yet, miss. We need to conduct a few more tests first."The nurse insisted. Frey sighed and relaxed back into the pillows, somehow knowing this would take longer than she wanted it to even without her memory.

She was right of course. Even though her answers never changed, the doctor and nurse insisted on asking her a battery of useless questions every few hours and measured all kinds of numbers that described her brain with machines the entire time in between. When the machine told them nothing of consequence, they brought forward a gentle looking pink pokémon they introduced as 'Audino'. Frey waited patiently as the creature extended its strange curling antennae and listened to her heart, lungs, and other physiological life signs. At the end of it, however they seemed no wiser.

The following morning they brought some kind of 'expert' in and with him came a strange, flat fish with a face pointing skyward on the top side of his pancake-like body. The 'stunfisk', as she found out it was called, very lightly zapped her with electric charge according to a rhythm commanded by it's trainer, but even the bizarre electric pokémon produced no improvement in her condition. All of it seemed rather silly because as far as Frey could tell she felt perfectly fine.

"When can I leave?" She asked the nurse after the expert and his stunfisk conceded defeat and departed the hospital room.

"Well..." The nurse said. "Technically we could release you now, but why not wait and listen to what the champion has to say?"

"Champion?" Frey echoed, confused.

"Yes. Apparently you fell on her and that's why you ended up here. She brought you here unconscious."

"Champion of what?" She asked slowly.

"The pokémon league of course. Her nickname is 'the divine wind'. A little ostentatious if you ask me, but since she's the league champion and a dragon pokémon master, I suppose I can't throw stones."

"Hmm." Frey hummed thoughtfully. "Okay. I'll wait for her. But after that, I'd like to leave. I'm getting really bored." The nurse stared at her, wide eyed.

"But... if you have no memory, where will you go?" She asked uncertainly. Frey furrowed her brow at that. It hadn't even occurred to her she didn't know where this hospital was or anything about the area... or what area it even was for crying out loud! This realization stumped her very soundly, so she resigned herself to eating the hospital food they brought her as she tried to consider her next step while missing nearly all information that could have helped her plan it.

At sometime around ten am the league champion did arrive. 'The Divine Wind' turned out to be a tall, mature woman with a bony, regal face and a long green coat with orange and yellow feathers around its collar.

"Good afternoon." She said formally, bowing. The way she spoke reminded Frey of a queen somehow. "I am Ventuswill, champion of the Pokémon league."

"Hello." Frey replied with polite, pleasant interest. "I'm Frey." Ventuswill nodded, smiling warmly.

"I am told you do not remember our encounter or anything before it?" The woman asked calmly. Frey shook her head. "You... fell on me." She said stiffly, looking annoyed, but a smirk teased the corner of her mouth. Frey looked abashed, but she honestly couldn't remember. "...From the clear blue sky." the woman added, quirking an eyebrow. "There was no sign of a tree, or building, or anything you could have fallen from..."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." She said sheepishly, shrugging.

"You really don't recall?"

"Nope..."

"I see. Well then, you are something of a blank slate then, I guess." Something moved from within the feathered collar and for the first time Frey realized there was a pokémon wrapped about this woman's neck. It raised it's head on a slender, blue, serpentine neck and blinked glassy black eyes at her.

"A... dratini?" Frey said, tilting her head curiously.

"Ah, have you seen one before?" The woman asked with interest sparking in her large brown eyes. Frey shrugged, smiling cheerfully. "Fascinating." Ventuswill breathed, raising a hand to her chin and looking at Frey with decided interest. She reached a hand down to her belt and plucked a compacted pokéball from a holster there. With her index finger she gave the trigger button a tap and the thing expanded in her hand in the curious way pokéballs always did. Frey leaned forward with interest. She liked pokémon. She couldn't remember why, of course, or when she'd encountered them before, but she knew it just as she knew the sky was blue, somehow.

"Another pokémon?" She asked with bright interest. The champion nodded.

"Come on out please." She said to the sphere in her hand and it popped open with a distinctive sound as a streaming form of light sprang forth and materialized on the foot of Frey's hospital bed in the shape of a small, green creature with large red eyes and two sizable tusk-like teeth jutting from it's tiny jaws.

"Axew!" Frey said brightly, holding out a hand to the Pokémon, who eagerly sniffed at and turned her hand over, looking for food, presumably.

"Aah. You know this one too, huh?" Ventuswill said with a smile. Frey shrugged again.

"I guess?"

"But I presume you do not know where you know it from or when the last time you saw one was?" Frey shook her head.

"No, Ma'am." Ventuswill winced.

"You know..." She said in a confidential tone, "I'm actually not as formal as my role usually prescribes. You can just call me Venti."

"Okay, Venti." Frey said with a giggle and a grin. Axeew squealed happily and wriggled under her hands, begging for pettting while she spoke. It certainly seemed to trust her quickly. That made her smile all the more.

"So, Frey. I hear they are just about ready to release you. No injuries or signs that you need to be monitored anymore." Frey nodded in reply to this.

"It'll be nice to be outside again." She sighed.

"Well, then... have you given any thought to where you'll go or what you'll do once they let you go?" A fretful expression took over Frey's face as she understood the words.

"No... I have no idea." She mumbled in a small voice.

Just then the door opened and the nurse and the Audino entered and greeted them.

"Ah, nurse Nancy." Venti said, nodding to her. Nancy smiled and bowed slightly back. "I was just having a word with our miss Frey here about next steps."

"Oh?" Nancy replied with interest. "And what conclusion did you come to?"

"Well..." Venti said, eyeing Frey with a sly look. "I haven't run it by her yet, but I think I know what she ought to do." She recalled Axew to its pokéball since the small room was growing crowded.

"What?" Frey asked eagerly, leaning forward. Venti grinned again, looking her right in her emerald eyes.

"I think you should go on a pokémon journey." Frey blinked in surprise. Nancy made a little sound of surprise form nearby.

"A Pokémon journey? Alone? While she has no memory of who she was?" The nurse sounded incredulous. "Are you sure that's wise, Ma'am?

"Aren't Pokémon journeys for children?" Frey added, cocking her head to one side as she looked into Venti's brown eyes. Venti only smiled back in response to these doubts.

"Pokémon journeys are for people who are searching for their place in the world; to find out who they are and what they will do with their lives alongside the pokémon they travel with and grow close to." Frey's eyes began to shine as she listened to Venti's words. Excitement began to bubble in her belly. "And yes," The champion added, "Most of these are typically children. But, you are never too old to begin a Pokémon journey." She turned to the nurse once more. "And no, she would not be alone. She would have her pokémon, of course."

"But Venti... I don't have a Pokémon... at least I don't think I do."

"Another feature of Pokémon journeys is that local research centers reserve young pokémon to pair off with new trainers. It may be unusual, but they won't exclude you because you aren't a child." The champion explained with a reassuring smile. Frey's eyes began to sparkle with the possibility before her. Her own pokémon? She couldn't have explained why but the very thought of it thrilled her.

"When can we go?" She asked excitedly. Venti laughed gently.

"Just as soon as your doctor releases you."

Frey looked to Nancy, who looked uncertain. She keyed in the code to page Dr. Jones in the office's console. On the exam table Frey suddenly felt very jittery. She twitched her feet in an eager rhythm, bobbing her knees up and down as she watched the door expectantly.

Dutifully, Dr. Jones came in a few moments later and greeted them.

"Ah, and how are you feeling today?" He asked Frey in the way a man will say a thing he has said ten thousand times and more.

"I'mfine." She rushed out the words. "Can I please go now?" Jones blinked in surprise, taken aback. Up until now Frey had been a docile, lethargic patient, speaking only when asked questions and showing little energy or interest in anything. The man looked quizzically at Nancy and Venti alternately.

"Well... we probably should run more tests. Don't you want to try and find the cause and cure for your memory loss, miss?" He looked concernedly at her. Frey drooped with disappointment. Then something occurred to her. If he really wanted to keep her here and felt confident he could mandate it, Jones would not have phrased it so softly. She brightened again.

"Nope! I'd rather live my life and hope it comes back on its own than play the role of an invalid indefinitely." The doctor and the nurse blinked, wide-eyed, shocked expressions at her but Venti laughed.

"An interesting point of view, but Dr. Jones, I have noticed that Frey here does remember some things: Specifically the names of pokémon she can't remember when or if she ever encountered before." Jones' eyebrows shot up. He glanced back at Frey with interest.

"Is that so..." He murmured.

"I think it would be wise to follow that clue, since it is the only one she has, so I have advised Frey to go on a pokémon journey. With your leave to release her, I will take her to the research lab so she can choose her first pokémon." Frey stared eagerly at the doctor, who chuckled with a smile at her.

"Well... If I keep you here, there is no guarantee we can produce any results with your condition and aside from the amnesia you seem in perfect health, so... You may go if that is what you wish." He acquiesced. "But there is the matter of paying for your medical care, first..." He added seriously, adjusting his glasses.

"Jones!" Nancy hissed, swatting his arm. "She doesn't have anything! How can you be so insensitive?!" He sighed a long-suffering sigh.

"We have to keep the clinic open somehow, Nancy." He grumbled. Frey looked anxiously from one to the other. As far as she knew she didn't have any money. Would he require her to work off her debt in this clinic before she could embark on her journey?

"I would be glad to cover her expense for your treatment of her." Venti said, bowing politely.

"Oh, Venti," Frey said, "You don't have to do that." The champion waved her off.

"It's alright. As the one you dropped from the sky onto, I feel somewhat responsible for you." She said with a laugh. "Besides," She added, winking, "I assure you I can afford the expense." She handed a small electronic device to Jones, who placed it on top of a machine on the counter and punched in some numbers. The machine gave a happy little confirmation beep and he plucked up the device and handed it back to Venti.

"Thank you, madam champion." He said gratefully. Nancy scowled at him. Venti waved them both off.

"It's no trouble. Well then, Shall we go, miss Frey?"

Frey pulled in a long breath that swelled her chest with joy and grinned from ear to ear. She was going to have a pokémon! She threw her legs over the side of the exam table and only then registered that she wore only the papery hospital gown. She blushed, pausing over this fact and plucking at the thin fabric of the disposable gown.

"Um..." She began nervously. All three of them turned to look at her. "Was I... wearing anything when I fell from the sky?" She asked, wincing with a blush in her cheeks. Venti threw back her head and gave a bright, clear laugh. Frey glanced reproachfully at her, but Nancy came to her rescue, speaking reassurance despite a similarly amused smirk on her mouth.

"Yes of course, dear. I had your clothing cleaned for you." She handed Frey a bundle of pink and white clothing. It didn't look familiar to her.

"Thank you." She nodded to the nurse.

"We'll give you a moment to change." Venti said, having finished her laugh. "I'll be outside when you're ready to go." The three of them exited the room and shut the door behind, giving Frey privacy to shift into what were apparently her own clothes.

She pulled on the black socks and shorts and a long, white, fitted sleeveless shirt with a piece like a short white skirt built into its hem. A yellow silk kerchief she first tied around her neck, but felt suffocated so she moved it to her belt, thinking it would come in handy later.

Two identical fabric hair ribbons shaped vaguely like white butterflies had tumbled out of the folded fabric when she picked it up. She looked at them a moment, then, because it felt natural to do so, she tied her long, pale green hair up in twin pigtails. At the very least it would be much harder to tangle, this way.

There were shoes too, and fingerless gloves. All the white portions of the clothing were decorated with pink floral details, like petals. She pulled one shoe on but as she shoved her foot into the other one it encountered something hard and prickly. She furrowed her brow and fished the thing out of the boot.

A... tiara? She thought in utter bafflement. The thing in her hand was something like a headband with an arrangement of leaf shaped pieces of crystal in the center, sparkling in the light streaming in from the window. She stared at it suspiciously for a moment or two and then shrugged and placed it atop her head. If she wore it, maybe someone would recognize it and tell her why the heck she had it.

She stood up straight and looked down at herself.

'Well... I guess this is me.' She thought, then grinned and strode to the door, filled with excited anticipation. Ventuswill was waiting in the hallway, as promised. Jones and Nancy appeared too.

"Are you ready Frey?" The champion asked. Frey nodded eagerly. "Well then... Let's go!" They exchanged goodbyes with the Jones and Nancy and walked out the front door of the hospital into a brightly blazing sunny day.

Frey looked up into the blue sky fettered with puffy white clouds. She'd come from up there, apparently. She smirked. Maybe someday she'd go back... find out what was up there and how she came to fall from that realm of wind and clouds. Well, until such a time she was earthbound and that didn't bother her in the slightest; especially if she would soon walk this path with a pokémon at her side.


	2. Lost Together

"So," Frey said after they'd been walking a short distance along a scenic little country road. "Where are we going again?"

"The place you just woke up in was a small hospital in Vaniville town. There isn't a whole lot there except residential suburbs. We're on our way to Aquacorde town, which honestly isn't much more active," Venti explained, gesticulating in the air in front of her as she walked. Dratini, still wrapped about her neck, watched her movements, it's gaze following her hands precisely. Frey smiled at that. "But, Professor Wells did recently open up a small lab station there. You see, Vaniville has been growing a bit. With all the new families, more and more kids are starting pokémon journeys. So he's offering a more convenient location than Lumiose city for them to get their first pokemon."

"I see." Frey said, nodding. Then excitement rose up in her all over again. "What are the starter pokémon like, Venti?" The champion chuckled approvingly

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see when we get there." She grinned sidelong at Frey, who pouted visibly. "I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."

"How far is it?" She asked, squinting ahead.

"Not far. We'll be there in a few more minutes. I suspect before too long Vaniville and Aquacorde will become one city, instead of two small towns side by side."

Just as Ventuswill had predicted, they arrived within another quarter hour. The road beneath their feet transitioned to a creamy colored brick paving and before she knew it Frey was among a row of two story buildings in a very quaint, almost rural style. The league champion led her to a little shop along the left side of a corridor of buildings facing a wide thoroughfare with a charming fountain at its center. The hanging sign above the door had read 'Pokéball Shoppe' but had a piece of paper taped over most of the lettering.

"As I said, it was only set up recently." Venti said, shrugging as she saw Frey eyeing the sign. She ushered her inside where a young red-haired woman dressed in a white blouse and skirt sat behind a counter, working at a computer. She was younger than Frey, probably in her late teens, but looked surprisingly comfortable in the professional setting.

"Oh, hello and welcome!" The girl said. "How can I help you tod--Madame Champion!" She suddenly gasped, gaping at Venti, who mad a placating gesture with her hands.

"Easy there, Shara." Venti said, chuckling. "no need for hysterics." Unfortunately 'Shara' did not appear to be able to quell her flustered attitude so easily.

"O-of course, Madame!" She said somewhat breathlessly. "What can I do for you?"

"I've brought a new trainer who's here to find a partner to go on her pokémon journey."

"Oh, of course!" Shara said excitedly, then leaned right and left over the counter as if to try and see someone standing behind Frey.

"It's me." Frey said hurriedly, blushing.

"Oh!" Shara chirped again, eyes wide with surprise. "Sorry, miss. I've just never encountered a brand new trainer your age before." Frey nodded, still embarrassed.

"She's a very special case." Venti said, placing a hand on Frey's shoulder.

"Well, let me get your paperwork started. It'll take a few minutes to complete your registration."

"Thank you." Frey said, bowing slightly.

"How is your grandfather, Shara?" Venti asked, making small talk as Shara punched in information rapidly on her keyboard. "And Monica?" Frey's eyes began to wander around the room and she stopped paying attention to the conversation as she took in the small pokémon lab.

There was a small medical station for pokémon in one corner of the room, complete with equipment to measure and monitor all manner of things. There were shelves of books on the wall, pamphlets for new trainers in a stand by the door, and a small, partially enclosed play area for interacting with young pokémon in the back left corner of the room. Frey walked over to the stand with the pamphlets while Shara made a phone call to the central lab office to get clearance since the paperwork normally wasn't designed for adults without legal guardians to assume responsibility for new trainers' actions.

She plucked up one of the pamphlets and flipped it open, inspecting photographs of the Kalos region starter pokémon. They were all awfully cute! One like a fox with bright red tufts of fur in its ears, another like a frog with big, yellow eyes, and a third with a brown furry face and green spines jutting out of its head.

Something caught Frey's attention from the corner of her eye and she turned. A pair of golden brown eyes stared at her from within a small upholstered pokémon playhouse in the play area. She blinked in surprise, then smiled, excited at the notion of meeting one of these creatures so soon. The frog pokémon from the pamphlet, Froakie, had yellow eyes... but these were different. Just who was this pokémon?

She inched forward and knelt down at the entrance of the play area.

"Come on out!" She called in a cheerful, quiet voice. "I want to meet you!" The pokémon's caramel colored eyes blinked up at her, then it began to emerge, the silhouette becoming a visible figure in the light of the room. Frey's eyes widened as she admired the creature.

A sleek, four-legged body with cream-colored fur and little brown paws. It had two huge ears and a long, swishing tail and these, amazingly, transitioned from fur to foliage toward their extremities, the tail itself resembling a long, vividly green leaf. Smaller curling leaves protruded from the pokémon's fur here and there with one large, curled one at its forehead. It pointed its small snout up at her and trilled a curious greeting:

"Leee-ee?" Frey held her breath. What a gorgeous pokémon! She'd always loved grass pokémon. Somehow she was sure of it.

"Hi..." She breathed. "I'm Frey." She offered a hand and the pokémon reached out its neck and sniffed at it curiously. It looked up at her and trilled again.

"Leee!"

"Oh!" Shara's voice suddenly intruded. "I'm sorry. That isn't one of our starter pokémon." The long-eared grass-type ducked back into the little house and blinked out at them again from the dark space.

"What's it called?" Frey asked, eyes glinting.

"That looked like a leafeon." Venti said, raising her eyebrows at Shara.

"It is indeed." Shara replied. "It turned up in grandpa's garden. They kept it there for a little while but it's very skittish and didn't warm up to them, not even grandpa!"

"Hmm" Venti said.

"We brought it to the Santalune forest to release it, thinking it wasn't well suited to being with people, but it came out of the woods to this town and wandered around until it found this place. Then it just kept sitting outside, watching everyone who came in or walked by. Never let anyone get close to it, though."

"How strange." Venti said, brow furrowing. "Aren't leafeon only seen with trainers in the first place?"

"Yeah." Shara answered. "Eevee's evolutions are known only to occur when in company with a trainer the pokémon is bonded with. There are no recorded sightings of wild leafeon or eevees evolving in the wild."

"So... it belongs to someone?" Frey asked. Shara looked bemused.

"It must have... at some point."

"But it's alone now, huh?" Venti replied sadly.

"Yeah... We've done some searching and have posted info on lost pokémon websites and bulletin boards in various towns to try and find its original trainer, but it's so skittish around people, I doubt it's been with anyone for a long time. It took me a week just to get it into this building once it started hanging out in front."

"No one has tried to claim it?" Frey asked.

"There were a few people who tried. We don't worry about phonies much because you can really tell when a pokémon recognizes its trainer, usually. Leafeon treated most of them like strangers, and actually became very agitated toward at least one of them."

"Oh my..." Venti said, looking troubled.

"Anyway, we should leave it alone and get you introduced to the starters!" Shara said in a forced-cheerful voice, clearly trying to steer the conversation away from troubling topics. She led them over to the other side of the lab and took out a case with three pokéballs in it. Frey perked up at the prospect of meeting new pokémon.

"This one is called Froakie." Venti said warmly, popping open one of the balls and calling out a bright blue pokémon with huge yellow eyes. Frey recognized it from the pamphlet immediately.

"Fro!" The water pokémon called, puffing up the white frothy substance gathered about its neck.

"This one is Fennekin, a fire-type." Shara said happily, releasing an adorable creature with huge ears and a fluffy tail. Frey scratched Fennekin under its chin with an amused giggle as it leaned into the attention, its nose high in the air.

"And this is Chespin." The red-headed girl said, her voice almost singing with approval. "Grass-types are kind of my favorite." She explained with a blush and released the brown-furred pokemon with the green cap of spines from the pamphlet.

"Chess!" The creature called, hopping up and down excitedly. Frey picked it up, smiling.

"Grass-types are my favorite, too." Frey said warmly, admiring the little pink nose and shining dark eyes of the pokémon.

"Ah, so you'll choose Chespin?" Venti asked. The smile began to fade from Frey's face, replaced by a troubled frown.

"Pin?" Chespin called quietly, tilting its head.

"I..." She began, trailing off.

"...Lee?" A quiet little trill sounded from just behind her. The three women turned with wide eyes to see Leafeon creeping quietly up to them, posture cautious. Its brown eyes moved from Chespin to Frey, something questioning in them.

"Oh my!" Shara gasped, hands over her mouth. Frey slowly set Chespin back down, and shuffled on her knees to turn around and face Leafeon. It took a step back as she moved, but drew a little closer once she settled, caramel eyes watching her green ones still.

"I think... I want this one." Frey said slowly.

"Oh, but miss..." Shara began anxiously, "The starters are specially selected to provide a learning experience for new trainers! And they each acquire a second type when they evolve. Leafeon won't evolve again at all!"

"That's okay..." Frey said absently as she watched Leafeon. It tilted its head and moved closer, fixated on her.

"It does seem awfully interested in you." Venti said with amusement in her voice.

"Yeah... I've never seen it so close to anyone by its own choice..." Shara said, mystified.

Frey bent down, suddenly quite sure, and picked up Leafeon under its forelegs and lifted its front feet onto her knees. It did not try to flee, only tensing slightly as she moved it. She looked into it's eyes and spoke softly.

"I'm not brand new either and we don't know where I came from... just like you."

"Leeef..."

"If we're both already lost, why don't we be lost together, huh?" She smiled gently, and to her surprise, Leafeon smiled back.

"Lee!" It trilled, surprisingly loudly, and nuzzled it's head against her chin like an affectionate Skitty. With surprise, Frey suddenly realized she already knew of a small pink pokémon called a Skitty, though as usual she couldn't remember ever having met one.

"Well, Leafeon seems game, but can you release it to her, knowing it once belonged to someone else?" Venti asked. Frey swallowed nervously, surprisingly attached to the pokémon already, and dreading any reason to be separated from it.

"True, but Grandpa-uh-Professor Wells already gave permission to release it, which we tried, so I don't see this as being a problem in light of that." Shara said thoughtfully.

"Well, then!" The league champion said brightly, clapping her hands together and reaching into a pocket. She pulled out and resized a black, glossy pokeball with white and gold trim and red bands around its circumference toward the top and bottom. "Here's a gift from me to commemorate the beginning of your journey together!"

"Oh! Thank you Venti!" Frey said earnestly, accepting the ball and offering it to Leafeon. "Look how beautiful, Leaf! Your own very special pokéball."

"I've heard that model is exceptionally comfortable for pokémon, too!" Shara added, smiling, "How nice, after you've had such a rough time of it lately!"

"Leeeeef!" Leafeon trilled excitedly, it's fur and leaves standing on end for a brief moment. It nuzzled Frey's hand and bopped its nose against the metallic gold trigger button of the ball. It popped open and her new partner shot into the thing as a ribbon of light, the ball snapping shut, wiggling once, and then sounding the confirmation tone of a captured pokémon.

"Congratulations, miss!" Shara called, clapping happily.

"Indeed, well done, Frey. You're already showing much promise!"

"Thank you both!" She replied, eyes suddenly watering with emotion. She held up the pokéball, admiring its beautiful finish and thinking of the caramel-brown eyes of the pokémon within.

Shara went back behind the counter to her computer, typed a few more things on her keyboard, then said:

"All done! You and Leafeon are now registered as new trainer and pokémon partner. You may now travel freely throughout the Kalos region, stay overnight at and use any and all services of any pokémon center free of charge, and challenge gym battles of the official Kalos pokémon league!" She came back around and handed Frey a red square device with a clear glass panel at its center.

"What's this?" Frey asked curiously.

"That is your new pokédex." Venti explained, reaching over to tap a button to activate the thing. The interface flashed to life, displaying Frey's trainer I.D. and eight blank spaces for gym badge icons. "Pokémon journeys are paid for by the Kalos region central board of research and academics, but your responsibility as a new trainer is to give back by recording data on the pokémon you meet on your journey. Much of the information on new pokémon is collected by trainers like you until specimens can be brought into laboratories for in-depth analysis. Plus, only traveling trainers tend to see wild pokémon in their natural habitat. That kind of information is truly invaluable to pokémon researchers around the world."

"Wow..." Frey breathed, staring at the device with sudden awe and anticipation. "I hope I can live up to such expectations..."

"You'll do fine." Venti said warmly, squeezing her shoulder.

"I have an idea!" Shara said brightly, "Why don't you bring out Leafeon and scan it! That way your first entry will be your first pokémon!"

"Okay!" Frey replied, grinning. "Come on out, Leaf!" She popped open the luxury pokéball and Leafeon stood before her once more, looking brightly up at her with glossy brown eyes.

"Leeeee!" It called joyfully. She held up the pokédex, looking through the glass part of it until the interface drew a circle around Leafeon and recorded a photo.

"Leafeon...The pure air pokemon..." The electronic voice of the pokédex said, "Using the plant cells in its body, this pokémon metabolizes sunlight and carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, producing oxygen and releasing it into the air around its body."

"Wow. Amazing!" Frey laughed, utterly elated.

"This individual is a male... 82nd percentile of length and weight for its species... approximately twenty one kilograms. 84 centimeters tall." The pokédex continued in its slightly mechanical voice.

"Oh, so you're a boy, huh Leaf?"

"Leeeef!" He trilled excitedly.

"If you head north you can walk through Santalune forest. It's a great place for beginner trainers to practice with their new partners!" Shara explained.

"Alright!" Are you ready, Leaf?" Frey looked eagerly to Leafeon, who jumped to his feet.

"Oh, and don't forget this!" Shara called as Frey turned toward the door. She passed Frey a brown messenger bag that she had to heft onto her shoulder.

"Whoa! It's heavy! What's in it?"

"Well, we keep a few beginner kits here at the lab for new trainers from underprivileged backgrounds. Not everyone can afford the necessary supplies, after all." Frey blushed. "Ventuswill explained your situation." Shara explained further, looking slightly apologetic.

"Th-thank you very much." Frey said abashedly. "I would have just walked off without knowing what I should even bring..."

"You're very welcome!" Shara replied brightly. "Good luck on your journey! I hope you find some answers out there, or at least some wonderful new memories." Frey grinned at her as Venti nodded approvingly.

Frey smiled down at Leaf, who gave her another bright-eyed poké-grin, his leafy ears standing up eagerly.

"I believe we will."


	3. First Steps

"If you go head due north you'll find your way easily enough. They post plenty of signs and the road is incredibly well traveled." Venti explained, gesturing in the direction of a path heading out of Aquacorde to their left. Frey turned about and bowed slightly to Venti.

"Thank you so much for everything, Venti." She said warmly. The league champion nodded, smiling in return

"Ready to strike out on your own?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Frey beamed.

"Leee!" Leaf trilled beside her. She still hadn't put him back in the pokéball. But to be honest, she didn't feel like doing so despite the luxurious quality of the ball Venti had given them. Having her pokémon by her side in the open air felt too right to put him away now.

"Well then," Venti said, plucking a pokéball from her belt and expanding it. "We'd better be off, eh, Fiersome?" She called, and a stream of light shot out of the pokéball and coalesced into the figure of a large orange beast with great leathery wings and a long tail capped in an ever-burning flame.   
  
"Rrrroaaar!" It bellowed as it threw it's head back and puffed out a short jet of fire.

"Charizard..." Frey gasped, realizing after the fact that once again she'd known the creature's name. Venti raised an eyebrow at her.

"Keep meeting new pokémon, Frey. Your memories are in there somewhere and pokémon are the key. I just know it." Frey nodded, determination glinting in her eyes. Leafeon paced around behind her calves, looking up at the hulking fire pokémon warily. The 'Divine Wind' climbed onto her Charizard's back and the pair shot up into the sky, off to attend whatever business of hers had been interrupted when Frey had apparently fallen from the heavens onto her.

"Well?" Frey said, looking sidelong at Leaf, "Let's go!"

"Lee!" he trilled in answer.

They began walking at a brisk pace, the messenger bag thumping gently against her hip as Frey put one foot in front of the other with her pokémon partner beside her. First the pair crossed a lovely brickwork bridge with quaint iron lampposts on either side, dim now on account of it was still midday, and the sun shone brightly down on them, reflecting in glimmering bands off the water to either side of the bridge.

Soon enough the paved road gave way to a dirt one and a signpost drew close on the right as they kept walking.

"Route 2... Also known as Avance Trail..." Frey read. Leafeon tilted his head up at the thing. They proceeded forward, glancing sideways at the deep ravine that cradled a river to the left. A rustling sound drew Frey's attention from up ahead. She turned sharply, instantly on guard, only to find that she wasn't really sure what she ought to be doing in reaction to the sound.

Up ahead a large thicket of grass and brush bordered the path. The road itself was not obstructed, but something about that brush so near it felt somewhat threatening. Leafeon bristled beside her, half-leaf ears erect and pointing forward.

The grass rustled again, then a figure darted out onto the trail. A small bird with a red cap rustled its wings and pecked at the ground, looking for food, perhaps?

"Oh!" Frey breathed with interest. "Nurse Nancy had one of those... Fletchling, wasn't it?" She fumbled in her bag for the pokédex and hurriedly pulled it out, holding it up before her until the little bird pokémon was centered in the clear glass portion of the device.

"Fletchling... the tiny robin pokémon." The machine read in its mechanical tone of voice. "These friendly pokémon send signals to one another with beautiful chirps and tail movements."

"Huh..." Frey said, watching the petit little bird peck about at the earth beneath it's spindly legs. "Well, we need to get through there, so... we'll just walk past it I guess?" Leaf tilted his head at her curiously, expression not altogether readable. She began to walk forward and the Fletchling looked up sharply at her with beady black eyes.

"Fleeeeeetch!" it peeped angrily, fanning out its wings and glaring in her direction. Similar chirps sounded from the trees off the side of the road on either side. More pokémon, unseen for the moment, were watching...

"Leeefeon!" Leaf snarled and darted out in front of Frey, posturing and glaring right back at the pokémon before them. Despite Leaf's greater size, the Fletchling did not back down. It scratched at the ground fitfully, opening its tiny beak to chirp menacingly, or what might have been menacingly if it hadn't been such a tiny, adorable pokémon to begin with. Something about the sight of the two squaring off sparked something in Frey and she gasped.

"Oh, right! Battling!" She breathed, holding up the pokédex over Leaf this time. "C'mon c'mon..." She mumbled, paging through the various categories of information using the touch screen interface.

"Fletch!" The bird cried and darted up into the air, making a large vertical loop and then crashing right into Leafeon, who dug his paws into the earth and scrapped over the ground an inch or two as Fletcling bounced off of him. The tackle hadn't done much, but it was clear they weren't getting through this stretch without fighting the little thing.

"This specimen currently knows four battle-ready moves." The pokédex read aloud once it had locked onto Leaf, "Tail Whip... Tackle... Sand Attack... and Razor Leaf." She mumbled the names of the moves twice under her breath, committing them to memory.

Somewhere overhead, a white puffy cloud moved out from in front of the sun and a sudden brightness came over them on the trail. As the warm light fell upon Leaf, he swished his tail and fanned out his ears beneath it, eyes growing wide and the whole of him buzzing with anticipation. Suddenly the pokédex made a 'ding' of confirmation. Frey looked between it and Leafeon, confused.

"This specimen demonstrates the hidden ability present in some Leafeon known as chlorophyl." The device said, "When touched by bright sunlight, its speed increases, thanks to its rapid photosynthesis-based metabolism."

"Wow!" Frey grinned, excitement bubbling up in her blood. All at once she knew what to do and as she called out to her partner her voice was strong and bright like the sunlight streaming down on them both.

"Leaf! Tail whip!" She barked. Leafeon twitched and dashed forward, spinning at the last moment before it collided with the wild Fletchling and lashing its tail at the bird with the momentum of its dash from a moment ago. The tail made contact, swatting the bird backward, to no particular harm for the moment, but the creature looked ruffled and dazed by the sudden slap. "Now tackle it!" Frey shouted without pause. Leaf responded instantly, lunging forward with its head down. It struck the Fletchling dead on and the little bird was thrown back, peeping frantically as it tumbled in the dust of the road.

Obviously outmatched, it scrambled to its twig-like feet and took flight, zipping away into the trees tweeting frantically in panic. Plainly it would not be coming back this way. Leaf raised his head and trilled triumphantly after the creature, looking back over his shoulder at her with fierce pride; a pride Frey felt in her own grin, too.

"You were awesome!" Frey called, squatting down and opening her arms. Leafeon pranced back over to her, his variegated leaf tail held very high. He nuzzled her hands and she petted him enthusiastically. "That was great, Leaf. I knew you were the perfect pokémon for me as soon as I saw you, and this just proves it even more!" He gave a high pitched trill of jubilation at the praise, grinning up at her with his tiny canines poking out from beneath his cat-like lips.

Suddenly Frey recalled the timid creature she'd seen peering out from within the little shelter int he play area inside the pokémon lab. Was this really the same pokémon? He looked so bold and confident now. But of course, she'd rather see him so upbeat than slinking around shyly so she set aside the thought for now.

After she'd bestowed a good long scratch behind his ears, Frey stood up and nodded toward the path before them.

"The coast is clear thanks to you, buddy! Shall we proceed?" Leaf nodded brightly. The walked through the area with the tall grass without further incident, following the dirt path until she noticed it disappearing into the shade of a heavily wooded area.

"Lee?" The voice that was quickly becoming familiar inquired at her as Frey hesitated before the dark canopy. She looked about, and spotting a signpost to the right again, she read "Santalune Forest Ahead."

"Well, based on what Nancy and Venti told us, it looks like we're headed in the right direction." She said, her tone a little distracted as she tried to peer as far into the shadow dappled trail ahead as she could without setting foot on it yet. Leaf butted her right calf with his head, looking up at her inquisitively. She smiled.

"Sorry, buddy. I shouldn't be quite so timid, huh?" And with that she strode forward into the forest with Leafeon close on her heels.

The sun dimmed behind the thick canopy of leaves above and the charming dapple pattern that fell over them both made Frey smile. Fortunately, their path was still quite clear, despite all the brush and grass that looked as though it had been encouraged to grow here.

"This does seem like the perfect place for the likes of you, eh, Leaf?" Frey said affectionately, eyeing Leafeon's strange part-foliage extremities. Leaf trilled happily in reply. They'd been walking a good ten minutes, sticking to the path for the most part when the stopped short at a sudden shout.

"Hey!" A young voice called out to them. Leafeon spun about and bared his teeth, bristling. Frey noted that her partner wasn't quite as secure as he'd been acting following that first victory. A boy with olive green hair came running out from a branching trail off to the left. "Trainer! Hey wait up!" The boy ran up to the pair of them, eyes all alight with excitement.

"Hi! I'm Roy! Let's battle!" He puffed, reaching for a pokéball on his belt.

"Uh..." Frey hesitated, glancing down at Leaf, who was eyeing the newcomer somewhat suspiciously. He looked up at her with a determined expression and she nodded. "Okay then, Roy! I'm Frey. Let's do this!"

"Awesome!" Roy grinned. "Let's go! Scatterbug!" He threw out a pokéball that ejected a strange little gray pokémon with glossy yellow eyes with square pupils.

"Wow, what is that pokémon?" Frey said with awe, fumbling for her pokédex again.

"Scatterbug is my bombastic new bug pokémon!" Roy called triumphantly. "We've been training in the forest and now she's ready to show you what she's got!" His shouting had drowned out the readout of the pokédex but at least she'd recorded it for the professor. What was his name again? Wells?

"Leeef!" Leafeon growled, jumping out in front of Frey again to standoff against scatterbug. Frey's attention snapped back from her wandering thoughts and she felt herself tense in anticipation.

"Ready?" Roy called.

"Yes!" Frey answered.

"Alright then! Let the battle begin!" He called back.

"Leaf! Tail whip! Just like before!" Frey called to him. Leaf charged forward directly for the smaller bug-type pokémon. Roy's expression never wavered though.

"Scatterbug! String shot!" He barked. The little gray bug reared up, opened its mouth and spewed white streamers of silk string before it. They caught on Leafeon's fur and wrapped about his limbs he tumbled to the ground, abruptly hindered.

"Ah! Shake it off, Leaf!" Frey called frantically. He struggled back to his feet, biting and tearing off the strings where he could, but the sticky substance still clung to him in many places.

"Now use stun spore!" Roy shouted. Scatterbug ducked down, shivered violently, then reared up again, a spray of small black spores flying out from the tuft around its neck. Leaf squalled and tried to scramble away, but as Frey watched with clenched teeth he was quickly covered in the spores and he fell to his side, twitching.

"Oh, no! Leaf!" She cried, voice shrill with anxiety. She moved to run forward, but Leaf struggled to his feet, still twitching and shuddering uncontrollably with the effort of defying the paralysis as much as he could.

Roy's expression darkened and Frey's heart hammered in her chest.

"That is one tough pokémon... it's determination is impressive..." He said with palpable awe.

Something stirred in Frey. This gritted-teeth determination and pressure thrummed in her veins in a way that did not feel alien or novel to her. It was like a sound or a smell one had known since childhood, so familiar as to be noticeable only by its absence. The battle with Fletchling hadn't stirred her up like this. This was different... they were backed into a corner but the tension of it felt right... she _knew_ this...

"Sand attack! Now!" She barked. Roy started, caught off guard by the suddenness of their counterstrike. His hesitation bore them just enough time for Leaf to spin on his paws and kick dirt into scatterbug's huge eyes with jerky, awkward motions. Scatterbug squealed and writhed, trying to turn its insectoid eyes away from the onslaught of debris. Leaf stumbled, plopping down on his belly for a moment or two while he wrestled with paralysis, and Frey waited for the right moment.

"Scatterbug! Hurry and finish it with tackle!" Roy called out frantically. Scatterbug sprang at Leaf, surprisingly agile for a creature with almost no legs to speak of.

"Meet it head on! Tackle it back!" Frey roared. Leaf marshalled his strength and charged, slowed and hobbled slightly by the paralysis, but dashing forward with fervor even so.

The two pokémon collided. Leaf's superior weight won the bought, bowling over his smaller opponent but he took an audible crack to the head as scatterbug smacked into him. Scatterbug rolled off to one side and Leaf collapsed partially to the ground, still afflicted by stun spore and further hampered by the string shot from earlier.

"Oh!" Roy yelped, and ran forward. Recognizing this as a marker of surrender, Frey mirrored him a moment later and went to Leaf's side. "You were great, scatterbug! I've never seen a bug with more bravado than you!" The boy crooned as he scooped up his pokémon and deposited it carefully in his lap where it squirmed a little and looked up at him with cringing eyes still clouded with dust.

Frey helped leaf to his paws and beamed at him. "You've got real courage, Leaf." She said quietly to him. "I think most pokémon might have given up back there but not you, huh?"

"Lee-ee-f" He croaked, apparently trying to put on a brave facade.

A few feet away, Roy pulled out water in a dropper bottle and a little spray bottle with a purple label too. Frey watched him for a moment as he carefully dripped water over scatterbug's eyes until they cleared up and the little bug huffed out a tiny breath of relief. Then he shook the spray bottle and squeezed the plastic trigger handle, misting the little creature with a lavender substance that smelled almost like artificial grape flavoring.

"There now, you'll be up and at em in no time." Roy assured his partner. Frey snapped to attention, remembering her bag. She plopped it down and quickly rummaged through its contents, finding some disinfecting wipes and a purple spray bottle identical to Roy's. She cleaned off the black powder and white strands from Leaf's fur and sprayed him with the potion too. He did seem to regain some vigor, standing up a little straiter, but his movements were still halting and strange. She frowned worriedly at her partner.

"You'll need this." Roy's voice came from close by. She looked up to see Roy holding out a yellow spray bottle with a clear reservoir and a differently shaped nozzle. Scatterbug was nestled in the crook of the boy's opposite arm. Frey blinked at him, accepting the bottle.

"Thanks, but... what is it?" She said, exposing her ignorance. Roy's eyes widened.

"Are you a... new trainer?" He asked, surprise in his blue-green eyes. She nodded.

"Kind of..."

"Wow, uh... I guess I just assumed cause you're, well... ya know, not a kid..."

"I just started my journey," Frey explained. "I had an accident and don't remember anything from before yesterday."

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry..." Roy cringed. Frey shrugged.

"It's alright. This seemed like a good way to start a new life, since I don't really have a choice until my old memories resurface."

"Yeah, i guess that's true." The boy said, cracking a smile. "That's paralyze heal by the way. You should use some on Leafeon now. Otherwise the stun spore might have lingering effects until you reach the pokémon center in Santalune City and get it treated there."

"Oh, I see! Thank you very much, then." She said earnestly, quickly applying the paralyze heal to Leaf and brightening as she saw his strangely tensed posture relax into something more natural.

"Since stun spore is a pretty integral part of our battle strategy, I kinda feel obligated to carry extras with me. I hate to see anyone's pokémon suffer its effects outside of the battle, ya know?"

"Yeah." She said, smiling, "How are scatterbug's eyes?" She peered down at the little bug and Leafeon looked over curiously too. Scatterbug's collar of fluff and black flecks bristled a little, but it's gaze was bright and alert. Roy laughed.

"She has a lot of spunk, that's for sure. But I think my little partner's a sore loser maybe." He grinned at scatterbug as she looked a little reproachfully up at him and made an odd little click of protest. Frey chuckled.

"Oh, there you are!" A female voice intruded suddenly. Frey looked up to see a girl with pink pigtails approaching, a healthy pikachu with bright red cheeks on her shoulder. "I've been looking all over!"

"Sorry Cammy!" Roy said abashedly. "I found a trainer out here and we just finished up a pokémon battle." Then his face turned to realization suddenly. "Oh, right! I almost forgot! Here." He pulled out a wallet and pressed some paper money into her hands. Frey stammered a faint protest, but he brushed off her resistance. "It's your winnings, fair and square! That's how this works, after all!" He grinned at her. "It was a great battle. Really heart-pounding, ya know?"

"Yeah." She smiled at him. Then, realizing her rudeness she tucked the money hurriedly in her bag and stood up, offering a hand to Cammy. "Hi, I'm Frey. This is my partner, Leafeon." She said. Cammy smiled at her.

"I'm Cammy and this is Pikachu. Nice to meet you, especially if you were just getting done taking this one down a peg or two." She winked at Frey with good humor. Frey smirked as Roy protested.

"Hey now! Don't give her the wrong idea about me!"

"We're on our way to Santalune City. It's just at the other end of the forest. Are you on your way there too?" Cammy said to Frey, brushing off her friend's comment. Frey nodded. "Great! Why don't you walk there with us!"

"Really?" Frey said, wide eyed. "That'd be great! We're still trying to get our bearings so we'll welcome all the help we can get."

"It's actually just a little farther than the other end of the forest." Roy Corrected. "We'll also have to go through Ouvert Way. But, it's not far. Don't worry."

"Okay." Frey smiled at them both, then turned to Leaf. "Ready to go, partner?" He nodded up at her and took up his usual position walking just beside her right leg.

Cammy and Roy walked to either side and Frey's heart hummed with warmth. She was already making new friends and she and Leaf had won their first trainer battle. This really was a good idea.

'Thanks again, Venti.' She thought, smiling broadly as the group walked further along the forest trail together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly always found it mystifying how the trainers in the TV show always knew what their pokémon's moves were without any kind of evident process for finding out. Since in the games they are displayed through the pokémon summary interface, I figured it a fair rationalization that the pokédex serves this function too.
> 
> Roy seemed like the perfect choice for a bug catcher boy, and Cammy is an ideal lass, isn't she? :) Does it make you wonder who Frey will meet in Santalune City? Heehee! XD


	4. Stranger and Stranger

 

Santalune City, as it turned out, was more of a quaint little traditional town than anything Frey would have been inclined to label a ‘city’. As she and her companions entered the town she admired aloud the quaint little shops with window box gardens and stained glass in their doors. Cammy and Roy had apparently already been here enough times before that nothing about the place caught their attention with its novelty. Then again, she supposed, everything had the advantage of her when it came to novelty now.

“There’s a great little boutique over there.” Cammy said, pointing with one hand as she hooked her arm around Frey’s elbow with the other. “Which reminds me… what’s with the tiara, anyway?”

Frey blushed and reached up reflexively to the ornamental accessory atop her head.

“I… have no idea.” She admitted, then laughed abashedly.

“You don’t remember that either, huh?” Cammy said, brow furrowing with sympathy. Frey shook her head. “Oh well. It’s super pretty in any case.” The pink-haired girl shrugged.

“Thanks.” Frey said, still shuffling her feet in embarrassment.

“The pokémon center is this way.” Roy said gesturing to their right. “We need to get Leafeon and Scatterbug a checkup after that battle.” Frey nodded and followed the boy.

“Aww!” Cammy protested. “Well can we at least go to the boutique later? I wanted to show Frey their accessories!” Roy sighed and shrugged.

“I dunno, Cammy. We need to get back to Camphrier before your dad decides to flatten me for keeping you out so long.”

“You mean before _your mom_ comes looking for you riding a Ryhorn through the streets and shouting your name?” Cammy shot back, a wicked smirk on her face.”

“That too.” Roy lamented. He turned to Frey. “Sorry Frey, but I think we’ll have to leave you to explore Santalune on your own after we hit the pokémon center.” Frey smiled sweetly at him.

“That’s okay. I’m sure we can manage.” She glanced down at Leafeon who swished his long leaf tail happily.

They entered the pokémon center, a more modern building than those around it but still sporting a cedar shake roof with each shingle dyed crimson so as to be easily identifiable from afar. Once inside, Frey was struck by the feeling of déjà vu. The half-circle counter of the nurse’s reception desk as well as the layout of the place was something she could have drawn a perfect picture of from some half-shrouded memory if she’d been asked to.

To the left of the counter was a lounge, restroom, shower, and a small bank of simple bunks for traveling trainers to sleep in overnight if they needed a place to stay. On the right half of the building’s interior was a small collection of booths, tables and chairs where trainers could sit and eat the simple convenience foods the center offered. Behind that was the shop and café counter, selling trainer supplies and refreshments. There was even a little bookcase with a modest library of books boasting must-know information for new trainers. Frey also spotted an atlas of the Kalos region tucked in the shelf. She made a mental note to go look at it in a few minutes, but first she followed Roy up to the counter where a woman in a cute nurse’s uniform with long fuchsia hair stood with a pleasant smile on her face.

“Well hello again, Roy.” The nurse said pleasantly, “And Cammy, too. How are your travels?”

“Hi Lara.” Roy said amiably, setting scatterbug down on the counter. Behind Lara a rotund pink pokémon almost as tall as Frey approached the counter and reached for scatterbug.

“Not just yet, Chansey.” Lara chided gently. Chansey backed up a step and looked up at her, bemused.

“Lara, I want you to meet Frey.” Roy said, gesturing to her.

“We just met her in Santalune Forest!” Cammy added brightly.

“Ah, welcome! I’m nurse Lara. Pleased to meet you.” The pretty young woman curtseyed gracefully and smiled at Frey, who blinked and ducked her head awkwardly in a semblance of a bow.

“Nice to meet you too.”

“My Scatterbug and her Leafeon could use a checkup.” Roy said, bending down and reaching to pick Leafeon up around his middle. The grass type pokémon squalled and darted out of his grasp, ducking behind Frey’s legs and growling. Roy started in surprise and Lara let out a little “Oh my.” Frey blushed profusely and began apologizing on behalf of her partner.

“Sorry guys. He’s still not all that friendly to people.” She knelt down and chided Leaf gently, “Now, Leaf. These folks want to help you feel better. I need their help to take the best care of you I can. So, will you please be nice to them and let nurse Lara examine you? She has a pokémon helping her, so it won’t just be humans.” Leafeon looked reluctant for a few beats, but his rigid ears lowered and relaxed slightly and he allowed her to pick him up and place him on the counter.

“What a handsome pokémon!” Lara gushed upon seeing him up close. “It’s very nice to meet you, Leafeon.” She curtseyed again and Leaf tilted his head at her with interest, getting to his feet atop the counter and ducking his head in his own greeting.

“You’ll be good for Lara, won’t you?” Frey asked sweetly, stroking his back.

“Leef!” Her partner trilled, seeming more confident, now.

Chansey pushed a gurney up to the counter and scatterbug hopped obligingly onto it while Lara scanned Roy’s and Frey’s pokédexes to verify their I.D.s. Leafeon followed suit, apparently very willing to take up friendship with the little bug that was his earlier opponent in battle. Chansey wheeled them away through a swinging door into the exam room and Roy and Cammy walked over toward the sitting area to wait. Frey followed them and sat down at a booth table alongside her friends. Cammy giggled and pointed silently to a neighboring booth where a tall, bearded man in a battered old leather jacket lined with sheep’s wool was slouched and asleep, snoring softly with his arms folded across his broad chest and a flat cap hat pulled low over his eyes. His big booted feet lay propped up on the chair across from him and an odd, brown-furred pokémon with long arms and sleepy eyes curled up in the crook of one of the man’s thick arms.

“That’s rude.” Roy chided like a brother chastising his little sister. Frey got the feeling these two had been childhood friends a long time. She smiled, first at them, then at the strange man sleeping in the middle of the pokémon center

“Why doesn’t he just use one of the bunks?” Cammy wondered aloud in a whisper, ignoring Roy’s glare.

“Maybe he didn’t mean to fall asleep?” Frey offered, shrugging. “Must be tired.”

They sat quietly for a few minutes after that, Frey looking all around at the interior of the pokémon center and trying to grab hold of any of the faint nostalgic memories that had once been tied to this  kind of place… to no avail.

Roy began to fidget after a few minutes, looking more and more nervous.

Finally, Lara and Chansey came out from behind the counter with Scatterbug and Leafeon in tow.

“Your pokémon are refreshed and ready to go!” Lara announced cheerfully and Chansey added her own joyful exclamation in time. Scatterbug hopped right into Roy’s arms and he caught the little insect pokémon with deft, practiced motions bordering on muscle memory. Leaf hopped down somewhat more gracefully from the gurney and sat by Frey’s feet, looking proud of himself. “Leafeon is a wonderful specimen of his kind.” Lara added, giggling, “He’s very fit and healthy.”

“Thanks Lara, we’d better go! I don’t want what Cammy said about my mom to come true…” Roy said, grumbling. “See ya later, Frey! Thanks for the battle!” Cammy snorted and rolled her eyes, but followed her friend, waving goodbye as she went.

“When you get to Camphrier town, come look us up!” Cammy called back to Frey.

“I will! Thanks for everything! Bye now!” Frey hollered back, waving.

“How nice.” Lara sighed, watching them go. “They really are good kids.”

“Yeah.” Frey sighed, smiling as she watched them disappear through the front door.

“Well, miss,” Lara addressed her more directly, now, as the sleeping man snored again in the next booth over. “You are welcome to stay and rest here as long as you like.” Then her brown eyes hardened into chips of ice and she snatched up a magazine on the table in front of the man, rolled it up in her fists, and swatted him sharply over the top of his head. Frey was so startled she jumped a little in her seat, and Leaf jumped into her lap, bristling. “ _You_ on the other hand need to stop loitering around and go back where you belong!” The nurse hissed, her energy turned razor sharp as she addressed the man, who snorted and sat up, catching his pokémon as it slipped from his arm toward his lap.

“Huh? Wha?” He mumbled incoherently, pushed his hat up out of his eyes and looked up at Lara glaring down at him. He winced and then smiled a smile Frey was sure was meant to be disarming but Lara wasn’t buying it.

“Why, Lara, what’s all the fuss about, eh? I thought this place was here for trainers like me to stop and rest a while anyhow?”

“It’s not for the likes of you to shirk your duties and hide out all day in.” She bit back, tossing the magazine back on the table and turning about with a huff. She returned to her place behind the counter, gave him a cool look, and pointed her finger at him and then at the door.

“Wow. You’re really on her list, aren’t you?” Frey said, smirking and unable to help herself. The big man turned blue-gray eyes on her and blinked in surprise.

“Ssssslaaaaa?” The furry pokémon in his arms murmured slowly, turning its half-lidded eyes to her. She snickered and put out a hand.

“I’m Frey, and this is Leaf. What’s your name, stranger?” The man huffed a monosyllabic laugh and clasped her small hand firmly with his own huge one.

“Name’s Bado, little lady.” He said, giving a mild smile, “You just roll into town?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. Leaf yipped his own little assent. She looked curiously down at his pokémon, who was very gradually climbing up to the man’s chest again and hooking its long arms about his collar. “And who might you be?” She said to the creature with a sweet smile. It blinked up at her very slowly, then put out one two-clawed paw in a slow-motion imitation of her earlier gesture. “Oh!” She chirped and then gently shook the pokémon’s outstretched paw. “Nice to meet you.” Bado chuckled.

“This is Slackoth.” He said warmly, patting the pokémon with his free hand as it returned its outstretched paw to hook about his neck.

“So, what brings you to Santalune, Frey and Leaf? Are you here to challenge the gym?” He asked without any particular interest. Frey blinked at him, then looked down at Leaf, who donned a determined expression full of vigor and trilled excitedly:

“Leeee-eeef!”

“Well, I guess that means yes.” She laughed, “Though I hadn’t planned on it before I arrived.

“Hmmm.” Bado said, looking at Leaf and rubbing at the short, dark beard that framed his entire jawline. “That your only teammate?” He asked slowly, pointing to Leaf, who bristled indignantly at his question.

“Yeah, why?” She replied, tilting her head. He ‘tsked’ and frowned thoughtfully at the two of them.

“You’ll have a real hard time if you try for the Santalune Gym with only a grass type pokémon.” He explained. “Gym leader ‘round here’s a steel type trainer.”

“I see…” Frey said, looking down with concern at Leaf. She knew very well what that meant, though she had no idea where she’d won such knowledge. Steel types had the greatest number of resistances of any pokémon type, and grass was among them.

A long silence stretched out between them as she bit her lip and thought hard. There was nothing else for it. She’d have to acquire a second pokémon somehow. As if reading her mind, the big man across from her spoke just as the thought solidified in her mind:

“Ya know… I could help you. I know where you can catch a good pokémon for fightin’ steel types nearby.” She looked up at him, green eyes glittering with excited hope. He blinked and smirked at her as if in spite of himself.

“You’d really do that?” She asked, voice alight with eagerness. He chuckled.

“Sure, why not? Seems I’ve worn out my welcome for today, anyho-uh oh…” He broke off, voice turning nervous. Frey whirled around and looked to the door, where a tall young woman in blue jeans, a kevlar vest and steel-toed boots strode in, her long golden hair swishing behind her in a tall ponytail. Frey blinked as she took in the sight of this stern-looking woman, beautiful yet hard and stoic, judging by how she carried herself. The imperious armored woman strode up to the counter and greeted Lara with a nod, then she spoke in a firm tone.

“Where is he?” Lara sighed and pointed in their direction. Frey started and whipped her head around to look at Bado… but he was gone. She twisted around in her seat, looking everywhere for the huge man who had just been sitting right near her but there was no sign of him now. At the counter Lara and the newcomer both donned looks of grim understanding and scowled. The tall, armored woman came striding over to Frey, who swallowed and looked up at her.

“Hello. My name is Forte.” The woman put out a hand and Frey took it, almost gasping at her over-firm grip.

“Frey…” Frey replied, wincing. Forte glanced down at their hands and released Frey’s, her face flickering into a look of apology.

“Sorry.” She hurried to say. “Have you seen a tall, broad-shouldered man with a Slackoth in here today?”

“Yeah… he was just here talking to me a moment ago.” Frey said, nodding. Was this woman a police officer or something? Had she just been chatting with some kind of fugitive? Forte sighed and rubbed at her temples, grumbling to herself.

“That man…” She looked up, and bowed to Frey stiffly. “I’m sorry for any inconvenience he may have caused you. If you see him again, will you please notify me?” She handed Frey a business card from her pocket that had a phone number on it.

“Is he a criminal?” Frey blurted out. Forte blinked huge cobalt eyes, then laughed aloud.

“No, miss Frey. He’s just a lazy slacker. Nevertheless, I do need to speak with him on a matter of some importance to me.”

“O-okay. I’ll let you know if I see him again.” Frey said faintly, still unsure what on earth was going on around here. And where had he gone so suddenly, anyway? Was all that talk of helping her catch a pokémon for fighting the gym here just bologna? Forte bowed her thanks and turned about to leave. For the first time, Frey noticed there was an actual scabbard at her back in which a broad blade was sheathed, a long blue sash trailing form the hilt. To her sudden shock and mystified astonishment, the ornate handguard _blinked_ at her as the woman exited through the front door.

“Was that a pokémon?” She mumbled. Leafeon made a little noise of awe, too.

A steel-type trainer and a pokémon that looked just like a sword. Suddenly Frey felt sure she knew who the Santalune City gym leader was. She looked down and turned the card over in her hand. It read: Forte Starson, Santalune City Gym. Then there was a ten-digit phone number listed below as well as an email address. Frey swallowed, abruptly sure she’d need all the help she could get to earn her first gym badge after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am following the general character and layout of the towns of Kalos, but I'll be picking the gyms' types based on who I choose to be gym leaders throughout the fic. :)


	5. Spirited Girls

“Now what…” Frey sighed to herself as she stepped out of the Santalune pokécenter, brow fretted. That man, Bado, had said he’d help her catch a pokémon to challenge the gym with, but where had he gone? “Guess we’re on our own.” Frey said ruefully down to Leaf who looked up at her and tilted his head quizzically.

“Yep, just us.” A deep voice full of amusement sounded from just beside her. Frey yelped in surprise and turned with a furious face to see none other than the same mild, bearded man who’d vanished inside the pokécenter not ten minutes prior.

“You!” She barked. “Where the hell did you go?” Then her expression darkened further. “And how?” The big man brushed off her interrogation with a casual gesture and chuckled.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m here now, see? Now, about that place I mentioned…”

“Hey, Wai—“ Frey began to protest, but he ignored her, calling cheerfully:

“This way!” and walking off to the Northeast. Frey glanced with companionable exasperation at Leaf, who gave her a slight duck of his head that almost looked like a shrug and began to follow the man. She sighed loudly and began to follow too.

“What’s going on with you, by the way?” She prodded warily as she caught up to the big man, matching his long strides by speed walking, almost jogging. “Forte said she needed to talk with you about something. Why are you avoiding her?”

“Cause I ain’t got anything to say to her that I haven’t already said… recently, too.” He said, hoisting slackoth up to his shoulder so the little languid creature could look about from the higher vantage point.

“You and the gym leader don’t get along?” Frey inquired, smirking as she pried into this man’s life. Bado turned and looked at her with genuine confusion in his blue-gray eyes. “Is that why you want to help me challenge her?” Frey clarified. A look of comprehension snapped into place on his gruff features and he nodded, chuckling.

“Good guess, but that ain’t it.” He mused.

“What is ‘it’, then?” Frey challenged. The big man only chuckled again. She subsided only reluctantly, figuring it wouldn’t do to annoy him to the point he rescinded his offer to help her.

Small, cute but indistinct shops and homes had been passing by as they walked on the rustic cobblestone paths of this part of the city, but now the road widened and transitioned to an orderly and attractive brickwork pattern beneath their feet. Bado pulled his flat cap hat a little lower over his eyes and muttered sidelong to Frey.

“We gotta go past the gym now. If you still want my help just be cool and don’t draw attention to us. I don’t think she’s here right now, anyway.” Frey bent her eyebrows at the man but said nothing, determining to stay quiet as they passed by the big ornate building with the pokémon league emblem mounted on a bronze pedestal to the left of the entrance. Bado didn’t say another word until they’d passed the building by without arousing the interest or suspicion of anyone about.

“Here we are.” He finally said with relief in his voice as they passed through the gate posts between the city and the route to the east of Santalune. A moment later the pair emerged on a verdant path with stands of tall grass off to the sides. “Route 22.” He declared, “Also known as Détourner Way.”

‘Détourner Way’ looked quite a bit more domestic than the path through Santalune Forest on her way here. There were ornate iron fences, half a man high bordering it to the north. The trail was well-maintained and all the plants had an air of deliberate horticultural oversight. A few trainers went about their business along the long corridor of manicured lawn and neatly trimmed bushes, but in this stretch by the tall grass they were relatively alone.

Bado put his hands on his hips and smiled mildly at her. Slackoth grinned too from where he hung about Bado’s shoulders, resting his head on the right one.

“Ready, little lady?”

“Sure I guess so.” Frey shrugged. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them against one another with an air of anticipation.

“Great! You’re new to all this, right?” Frey bent an eyebrow at him in response to the question.

“Yeah, but how’d you know?” This made the big man chuckle.

“It’s written all over your face, kiddo.” He smirked. She scowled at him indignantly and turned red. This made the big man laugh even harder, folding a hand over his stomach as he did so. Fortunately he didn’t pause over the fact to humiliate her any further.

“The first thing you gotta know is that normally challenging a type of pokémon your team is weak to is very dangerous. That’s why we’re gonna look for a fire type that’s still basically a baby. Grass types will go up like kindling against mature fire breathers, after all.” Frey nodded seriously. She certainly didn’t want to risk Leaf to that kind of damage.

“Once you have a fire-type on your team, the odds will even out for you against a steel-type opponent.” She nodded again as he explained, expression growing determined.

“All right! What do we do?” She said excitedly. Bado laughed again, infuriatingly, and sat down in the shade of a nearby tree, patting the ground next to him to invite her to join him. Frey gritted her teeth in confused frustration and abided, sitting across from him in the cool grass.

“We wait.” He chimed, obviously pleased at her frustration. He reached into a knapsack at his side and pulled out a brown cardstock box about half the size of a loaf of bread.

“Hey…” Frey began, furrowing her brow in confusion now, “Where did you get that?”

“What, this?” He grinned. Slackoth’s own grin widened to unsettlingly sly width upon his shoulder. “It’s mine. You didn’t notice it before, perhaps?” His deep voice dripped with such obvious mischief that Frey found herself certain he was deceiving her somehow. She frowned at him, but said nothing, having nothing certain to stand on.

The big man unwrapped the box and opened it, holding it out for Frey to see. It was a bakery box, on closer inspection, lined with parchment paper and full of small, vibrantly red and elaborately decorated pastries.

“What are these for?” She asked, glancing up at him as Leaf cautiously stepped forward and sniffed at the box.

“Bait.” He replied, grabbing slackoth’s outstretched claws as the slow creature reached for the box. “Ah-ah not for you, buddy.” He chided his companion, “Your head would catch fire. These are special poképuffs for fire types.” Leaf bristled, arching his back like an angry cat and hissed at the box, hopping backward with his teeth bared. Frey laughed aloud and Bado grinned at her.

“Are we going to set a trap?” She asked when she’d finished laughing at her pokémon’s display.

“Nah, we don’t need to.” He said, picking up one of the poképuffs and tossing it over near the long grass. It splatted down, spreading frosting and hot red sprinkles upon the ground where it landed, but the cakey ball at the center remained mostly intact. Apparently without thinking, Bado stuck his fingers in his mouth, licking off a bit of frosting that had gotten on them when he plucked up the pastry. He scrunched his face up and gave a long, wheezing cough, face and ears turning red. Frey covered her mouth as she giggled at him.

“Y-yeah, ye-ah.” He choked out, grimacing and smiling all at once as his eyes watered. “Very f-funny!”

He settled back against the tree, coughing a couple more times as Slackoth made to pat his chest, trying in its own way to help its trainer. Frey looked up at the clear blue sky, gaze growing distant. Whenever she slowed down or stopped thinking about her next immediate step her mind wandered upward. How had she been there, up in the endless expanse of blue and wind and clouds? And more so, how had she fallen?

“What you thinkin’ so hard about, Frey?” Bado asked mildly after a few moments. She sighed.

“Just wondering what’s up there…” He raised an eyebrow at that.

“Like… in a philosophical sense, or what?”

“No,” She chuckled, “In a literal sense.”

“How’dya mean?” He asked, befuddled. “It’s just clouds and air and birds and stuff.”

“Nah… there’s something more…” She trailed off, feeling the frayed edge of a thought tease the edge of her consciousness. She squinted up at the clouds. “I was there…” she murmured. He raised both eyebrows.

“What’re you talkin’ about, Frey?” He said warily. Frey blinked at him as she came back to herself and realized she’d never had the chance back at the pokécenter to explain her situation.

“Oh, right, um…” She fidgeted, “I don’t exactly know who I am, see…” His expression grew yet more surprised and interested. “I may have kinda… fallen from the sky.” She winced, hearing how ridiculous it sounded and suddenly finding herself embarrassed to be telling him this. His wide-eyed expression approached what could be called ‘flabbergasted’ but he said nothing, apparently waiting for elaboration. Frey sighed.

“I can’t remember anything about it or about who and where I was before, but apparently I fell from the sky onto the league champion and next thing I know I’m waking up in the clinic in Vaniville.” Slakoth’s eyes grew wide as it very slowly adopted a gaping, surprised expression at her. Leaf snorted with animal laughter as it watched the other pokémon. “When I woke up, she came to visit, suggested I start a pokémon journey, and then took me to get my first pokémon, which ended up being this guy.” She smiled down at leaf as she stroked his back. Bado whistled an awed note and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he took a more focused look at her.

“So, old Ventuswill hooked you up, huh?” he asked, running fingertips over the tip off his short, dark beard.

“Yeah. Do you know her?” Frey replied. He nodded thoughtfully.

“Yeah, you could say that.” She waited for an explanation but none came. He just kept staring at her with those steel-blue eyes, the lines in his face creasing as wheels turned in his head.

“What?” She asked after a moment of fidgeting uncomfortably.

“You’re an interesting woman, Frey.” He said, smirking as he looked at her with mischief in his eyes. She blushed and frowned at him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The big man laughed and leaned back again, folding his arms behind his head as Slackoth slid down onto his stomach.

“It means not everyone would be runnin’ around lookin’ to challenge local gyms just a day or two after waking up with no memory.” He nodded to her. “You got spirit, kid.”

“Oh…” She barely squeaked, “Um… thanks.” She busied herself in her bag but judging by the way he chuckled she hadn’t managed to hide her embarrassment. Fortunately, thank the heavens, it was at that moment a sound drew their attention to where Bado had thrown the poképuff. Frey twisted around in place and gasped and Leaf jumped to his paws, absolutely vibrating with excitement for battle.

The pokémon that appeared to scarf the poképuff raised its head, a catlike muzzle covered in crumbs and sprinkles as it licked its chops and then puffed a jet of fire from its mouth with a joyful shout that blended with a distinct sizzling sound.

“Lyo!” The creature cried happily.

“Alright, here we go!” Bado murmured, taking out another poképuff and rolling it toward the fire pokémon. He glanced sidelong at her where she crouched, watching it intently. It had dark brown fur with a cream colored muzzle and socks upon its paws. The tuft on its tail was also lighter in color. On the top of its head a strange spike of flame rose and licked at the breeze, looking almost like hair.

“Awesome…” Frey breathed, grinning as she looked at it through the pokédex, which beeped and reported that the pokémon’s species name was ‘litleo’.

“What do you know about catching pokémon, Frey?” Bado asked quietly.

“Basically nothing for certain.” She replied, “But I have some impressions. Do I have to fight it?”

“Yeah, usually. Most pokémon don’t want to fight for someone they don’t know or don’t respect. The first step is to prove you’re stronger than them. After that, it’s about showing your qualities as a partner. You need this guy to help you challenge Forte, so a fighter is what you’re looking for.” She nodded seriously, donning a determined expression and catching Leaf’s eyes briefly. “Good, now get out there and show it what you’re made of.” He grinned wolfishly and cuffed her arm lightly. She returned the grin, feeling the fire of battle start up inside her and jumping to her feet.

“Leaf!” She barked, pointing at the Litleo by the tall grass, “Tackle!”

Leafeon charged forward as a streak of fur and foliage. The other pokémon tensed, bared its tiny fangs and snarled, the fire atop its head burning hotter, sending the flame higher in the air. Leaf bowled the other pokémon over. It was certainly comparable in size to himself, but he had all the momentum for the moment. The Litleo squalled as it scrambled to gain its feet again, sending sparks flying in its sudden rage. Leaf dodged back away from the little points of light and stood poised for Frey’s next command. She waited on the balls of her feet, fists clenched as she watched the battle unblinkingly.

"Hold steady, Leaf!" She cautioned.

Just as she had anticipated, the juvenile fire pokémon retaliated with fire, spitting a glowing ember from its mouth with an angry hiss.

"Dodge right!" Frey barked. Leaf sprang to the right, but the ember attack grazed his left ear, trailing behind his motion with its long green point. He gave an angry snarl of pain but stood firm and confident, regardless. "Now give it a sand attack!" Frey shouted. Leaf bucked his rear legs up, spun around and kicked hard at the soil beneath his feet as soon as they came down, sending dirt flying into litleo's face as it did so.

"Good. A little more, now, but don't be too overzealous. You don't want to knock it out." Bado cautioned from nearby, his attention rapt on the battle.

Litleo was squalling and pawing at its face, eyes squinted shut against the debris that had been thrown into them. Next it frantically shot embers in random directions without the aid of its vision.

"Watch out, leaf! You can still get burned by a lucky shot!" Frey warned aloud. Leaf danced and darted about, avoiding the embers with ease. Just as litleo began to tire, spluttering little coughs of harmless smoke instead of actual embers, she called out to leaf to make their final move.

"Now! One razor leaf. Aim to wear it down, not finish it!"

Leafeon followed her command perfectly, flinging sharp, stiff leaves out from its coat with a graceful whipping motion. The heat around litleo that distorted the air with little curving waves disrupted the leaves just before they struck the pokémon, dampening their effectiveness, but they struck the creature even so. Several scratches appeared in its fur, mostly around the face, and it staggered back, panting and shaking.

"That oughtta do it." Bado growled, "Here! Use it now!" He tossed her a pokéball from her bag which she caught deftly on sheer reflex and then heaved with an overhand throw at their opponent. The ball flew true, even as it spun and struck litleo on its shoulder as it winced away in the face of the oncoming projectile. The pokémon phased into a stream of red light that shot into the ball as it popped open on contact. Then it snapped shut with an audible 'click' and fell to the ground.

As it came to a stop, Frey felt Bado holding his breath alongside her and saw Leaf staring unblinkingly at it while they all waited. Slackoth simply yawned very slowly. The ball twitched, rolled slightly to the left, tottered back and forth, then stilled, sounding the capture confirmation tone as it came to rest.

Frey let out her breath and grinned triumphantly at her strange companion, who returned her smile with one of his own.

"Not bad, sprout." He said, nodding. She drew in a breath that puffed out her chest with pride and then walked over to where Leaf was sniffing at the pokéball.

"We're not done here yet, though." She said aloud as she tapped the button on the ball and called litleo out before her.

The fire pokémon looked up at her, part curious, part wary. She knelt down in front of it and set a hand on Leafeon's back beside her to calm him.

"Hi, Litleo." Frey said warmly. She could hear Bado's boots rustling the grass as he stepped up behind her and to the left to watch and listen, absently petting his lazy companion as it hung about his neck. She turned back to the little fire cat and spoke clearly and calmly, looking straight into its eyes. "I need a pokémon on my team that has a fiery spirit. I've got badges to win and places to go and if you want to come with me and Leaf, I'll help you grow strong if you'll help me get where I'm going." Litleo looked up at her and padded forward a step, tilting its head thoughtfully.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Frey continued, showing Litleo its pokéball. I need a fire pokémon who wants to fight and win. If all this doesn't sound good to you, then I'd rather let you go now. But, if you want to find out what you're made of and how far we can go together, then you can stay with us and be my newest pokémon teammate."

"Lyo?" The pokémon inquired, eyes shining with eagerness as it looked up at her.

"What do you say, Litleo?" Frey asked, smiling a fierce smile.

"Leeeooooo!" The pokémon yowled, sending the flaming hair atop its head high and bright for a beat like a torch. Its gaze burned brightly as it looked her in the eyes and nodded, everything about its posture eager and excited.

"Excellent!" Frey said joyfully, then scooped the cub up and hugged it. "Welcome to the team, Litleo!"

"Lyo!" It crowed happily.

"Leeee!" Leaf trilled in assent. Bado chuckled nearby as Slackoth made an approving hum that took several seconds to finish. He walked back over to the tree and sat down by their things again, beckoning Frey and her pokémon to join him and his own partner. When they had settled themselves in the grass, Frey dug in her bag and got out one of the purple potion spray bottles and tended to Litleo's injuries, even checking its eyes to make sure it had managed to blink out all the debris from Leaf's sand attack earlier.

"Since they're for firestarters, why not go ahead and finish these off?" Bado said, offering the red poképuffs to Litleo.

"I think that'll do nicely, won't it Litleo?"

"Lyo!" The creature called and took to the bakery box with gusto. The remaining spicy poképuffs vanished shortly thereafter.

Finally sure that her new companion was fed and in good condition, Frey pulled out her pokédex and scanned it.

"Litleo. The lion cub pokémon." It read out in its mechanical voice. "The stronger it perceives its opponent to be, the hotter its mane flares. Litleo are often quick to challenge other pokémon to battles."

"Sounds like the perfect fit for us, eh, Leaf?"

"Leeef!" He trilled confidently in answer.

"This specimen is average size, female, and is in excellent health." The machine added. "It knows the following moves: Tackle, Leer, Ember."

"Would you like a nickname, girl?" Frey asked, eyes glinting. "I think I'll call you 'Lettie'."

Litleo stood up and shook herself, her mane flaring slightly as she yowled a bold, happy declaration in her own small but mighty voice.

"Lit-lyooo!"

Bado laughed and smiled at Frey from where he reclined lazily against the tree with his sleepy-eyed pokémon.

"A couple of very spirited girls." He said with an air of praise, nodding at her. Frey blushed, but managed to smile at him anyway. He was a strange one and he embarrassed her as often as he could, it seemed. But, on the other hand he had gone out of his way to help her even after they'd only just met. She was beginning to think she could actually get along with the odd, flighty man.

"Thanks Bado... for helping me. I'm starting to think I really have a good chance at this whole thing." She said warmly.

"Challenging the gym, you mean?"

"Well yeah, that. But also just the whole pokémon journey thing." She explained, brushing a bit of her bangs back as she thought about it.

"Huh. You sure haven't seemed uncertain about it so far." He mused.

"That's probably because I haven't stopped to think about it much." She admitted, chuckling.

"Ah." he nodded, smiling thoughtfully again as he looked at her. "Well, you're welcome then. I'm glad I could help. "

They lounged in the fine weather on route 22 for a couple of relaxing hours while Frey played with and petted her new pokémon, and Leaf too once he got jealous of all the attention Lettie was getting and insinuated himself into her lap, much to the amusement of Frey and Bado, who shared a laugh about it.

By and by the light changed and sunset colors began to spread across the sky.

"Gettin' dark." Bado observed. "You gonna stay at the pokémon center tonight?"

"Yeah. That's my plan." Frey confirmed.

"Alright then." He said, slowly getting up. "Lemmie walk you back." Frey recalled Lettie while they walked back into town and said goodbye to her odd new friend at the entrance.

"You want some help with training Litleo tomorrow?" He offered hopefully, "I ain't got any plans." Frey smirked at that.

"Other than continuing to avoid Forte, you mean?" She offered in a 'helpful' tone.

"Well, yeah, there is that." He allowed, smirking back, "But that's something we can accomplish at the same time after all."

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Frey replied. "D'you wanna meet out on 22 again? Seemed like a good place to do some training.

"Sure." He nodded. "I should warn you though I ain't much of a morning person. So, don't expect me before noon or thereabouts."

"Slaaaa" Slackoth agreed, nodding at her. She snickered.

"Why does that not surprise me?"

"See you guys tomorrow then?" He said, foregoing his opportunity to respond to her jibe.

"Sure." She confirmed, waved goodbye and walked into the pokécenter.

Lara greeted her pleasantly and exclaimed affectionately over Lettie as she tended to Frey's pokémon. She helped them get settled in one of the bunks and bade them goodnight. Frey stretched out on the bed in the furthest bunk on the left, Leaf sitting sphinxlike on a smaller padded mattress on the floor for pokémon companions. She smiled to herself. Maybe if tomorrow went well, she'd be ready to challenge Forte already. And, while she was at it, maybe she'd even find out what the heck was going on between Bado and the steel-type gym leader.

 


	6. A Helpful Sneak

Frey stepped out into the sunlight, Leafeon beside her as always. She turned her face up to the sky, closed her eyes, and smiled. Then, without a word she drew in a long, deep breath in through her nose, swelling out her chest. Her hands rose up to either side of her and embraced the open air for a long, beautiful moment full of that breath, that piece of the sky she held in her breast.

Leaf trilled brightly from the vicinity of her left knee and then bumped his head gently against her calf. She let out her breath with a soft laugh and bent down to rub the base of one of his long, leaf-like ears. Vivid, growing green shone through his part-plant tissues and he practically brimmed with energy. The 'chlorophyl' ability, she thought, smiling down at her vivacious pokémon partner.

Route twenty-two was the very picture of some bygone youthful summer, with flowers ever blooming and waving in the wind as Combees buzzed about, just unseen in the brush off the main trail. Somehow she knew that sound, she reflected. By now, however, she had learned not to fret over wondering from where.

Frey gave Leaf one more affectionate scratch behind his ear and stood up, straining to push her fingertips skyward and grimacing with satisfaction as the stretch burned through her stiff limbs and back. The pokécenter had been quite hospitable, but the little foam mattress hadn't done her back any favors. Then again, she reflected, perhaps it was more a leftover symptom of the fall from the sky that had her bones grumbling this morning.

She shrugged off the thought, supposing it didn't much matter now and moving was the best medicine for soreness and stiffness. Then she plucked Lettie's pokéball off her belt and called out the little lion pokémon. Lettie shot out onto the grass before her new trainer and beamed up at Frey, a little jet of fire puffing out of her tiny mane just to emphasize her mood.

"Ready, girl?" Frey asked, grinning.

"Lyooooo!" Lettie howled.

"Well, come on, then!" Frey barked and dashed off down the long corridor of foliage and scenery, her pokémon springing into step beside her after a startled noise from each of them. She laughed aloud as she pelted down the path, flanked by the creatures that were now her teammates on this unexpected journey.

They ran up and down the route until Frey tumbled, winded, beneath a tree and rolled onto her back, panting and laughing as Lettie strutted around her, apparently proud that she had run all that time without tiring. Leaf looked reproachfully at her, his own tail drooping a bit.

"You both did better than me." Frey panted, still grinning. "That was a good warmup, huh?"

They spent the better part of the morning practicing with their various moves at her command. Frey, having memorized Lettie's three moves already, set up a target out rocks piled up on the trail so that her new charge would be less likely to start a fire in the grass. Thankfully, Litleo's little ember attacks didn't create anything that she couldn't immediately stamp out, even if she'd look ridiculous doing so. Such was the life of an amateur fire pokémon trainer, she supposed. After Lettie had spent all her fire for the time being and markedly improved her aim, Frey had her and Leaf sparring with tackle, to help them practice springing back strong after taking a hit.

Time faded away as she and her team focused on their training, such that even the panting, dust covered state of her pokémon and herself didn't alert her to the fact they'd been at it for hours until their shadows disappeared beneath their feet as the sun reached its zenith directly above. Frey paused, squinting up at the sky with one hand shading her eyes, and sighed with a smile.

"Guess it's high time for a break, huh guys?" She said offhand to her pokémon.

"Got that right." A deep voice answered. Frey jumped with a squeak and spun around to glare at the suddenly appeared Bado as he enjoyed a belly laugh at her reaction.

"Jeeze!" She fumed. "How in the name of all good things do you keep doing that?"

"Maybe you're just a little too focused on working." He replied airily, and held out a cloth knapsack to her. "Hungry?"

Frey accepted the thing with a blush as her stomach growled at the very mention of food. She untied the fabric and revealed a half dozen good-sized onigiri, hand-made by the looks of it. Her mouth began to water and she smiled up at her newly arrived companion.

"Thanks! I'm starving."

"O'course." He beamed, obviously pleased with himself. Then he knelt down and produced from his pack a couple of tupperware containers which he opened and set on the ground before her, Leaf and Lettie as they snuffled closer curiously. They were filled to the brim with brownish, bite-sized pokémon food, which her friends did not hesitate to dig into with gusto as soon as the big man provided it.

Frey and Bado sat down next to the busily eating Lettie and Leaf and Frey busied herself eating the rice balls with as much dignity as she could, despite wanting dearly to simply cram them into her face one after another. Bado continued unpacking two bottles of water, a knapsack of food for himself, and another container of poké-kibble for Slackoth. By the time he began eating his own meal, Frey was halfway through hers.

She blushed and slowed herself down as she noticed his sidelong smirk. Having taken the edge off her hunger, she could finally devote enough of her mind to hold up a conversation.

"What's all this for, anyway?" She asked, a little cautiously. "Why are you helping me so much?"

Bado chewed thoughtfully for a moment, swallowed, and took a drink before answering.

"You could say I'm curious." He said cryptically. She tilted her head and eyed him expectantly as she waited for elaboration. "To see what you're made of. Whether you can take on Forte and win. She's pretty strong, you know..." His tone turned warning at the end.

"Strength isn't everything..." Frey heard herself answer without thinking, as if it had been a mantra she'd uttered many times. She blinked as the thought occurred to her. Bado smirked.

"True enough. I guess you could say I'm hoping you can teach her that when you battle her."

"What's going on between you two?" Frey asked, knowing such a direct question would likely go unrewarded with a similarly candid answer.

"Nothin' that hasn't been goin' on a long time. Don't worry. It ain't anything nefarious." He chuckled.

"Are you related?" She pressed, trying to come at the holes in her understanding of the man and the gym leader from a different angle.

"Not by blood." He replied, "I am, or was, her guardian though."

"Was?"

"Heh. Yeah. She's a grown woman. She don't need no old dog barkin' at her anymore." He said with a nostalgic smile. Frey looked the man up and down,

"You don't look like an 'old dog'..." She ventured cautiously.

"I'm old enough." He insisted, looking off into the distance.

"There you are!" A bright, youthful voice chimed from nearby. Frey and Bado looked around and found a diminutive young man with a mop of blonde hair padding over to them, a large book under one arm.

"Heya, Kiel." Bado called, raising a hand in a half-hearted gesture of greeting. His tone was familiar enough for familiy and Frey immediately found herself noticing Kiel's eyes were the same blue as Forte's had been.

"Oh, who's your friend?" Kiel piped as he drew closer and turned his eyes on Frey. She stood up and offered a hand, introducing herself.

"I'm Frey. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Kiel. Nice to meet you, too."

"I'm helping Frey here train up a fire pokémon so she can challenge Forte to a battle." Bado explained.

Kiel tilted his head at the big man and raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't you just battle her yourself?" He inquired.

"Cause her skull gets twice as thick when she sees me." Bado complained. "She doesn't listen to me so I need someone else to teach her a thing or two."

"Are you sure you aren't concerned she'll just beat you?" Kiel smirked. Bado scoffed loudly.

"She's good but she's young. I've got years of experience ahead of her. D'you really think she'd beat me?" Kiel shrugged with a feather-light smile. Frey eyed the two of them as they spoke to one another, trying to read between the lines though she lacked most of the necessary context.

"Listen, kiddo," Bado said, suddenly looking seriously at Kiel. "I know you ain't the best at keepin' secrets but I need you not to tell your sister you saw me, okay? I need a little more time to help Frey out, first." Kiel shrugged again.

"Sure. She spends all her time at the gym anyway. All I have to do is not go there."

"Thanks." Bado nodded.

"You should work it out soon though. Running around back and forth between you two gets tiresome in a hurry." The youth said, brushing his golden hair out of his eyes.

"I know. I'm workin' on it." Bado said gently. "Thanks for bein' patient." The boy smiled back at his guardian and then glanced skyward a heartbeat before the call of a bird pokémon sounded above. Frey followed Kiel's gaze as a strange green pokémon circled down on angular wings of red and black and yellow and alighted on the boy's shoulder. It peered at Frey with deep black eyes as her own widened in surprise. Something akin to a very human kind of intelligence glittered in those eyes. As if the bird pokémon before her understood more of her than it ought, just by looking in her eyes. And, as her gaze shifted to Kiel's amused look she realized she was seeing the exact same thing in his blue eyes as well.

"I look forward to watching your battle with my sister. If Bado's instincts about you are right, It should be very enlightening for her." He smiled brightly and nodded a cheerful goodbye before turning to go. Frey blinked and stared after the curious young man until she heard Bado chuckle off to the side. She frowned at the big man suspiciously.

"What exactly are you using me for, sir?" She asked in carefully measured tones. Bado blinked and glanced up at her.

"'Using' is a pretty strong word, Frey." He replied deliberately.

"What do you call it then?"

"I already told you I'm tryin' to help you. You're the one who said you wanted to take on the Santalune gym leader, right?" He countered, dodging again. Frey set her jaw.

"It's hard to trust your intentions when you've plainly got your own agenda and you refuse to be candid about what it is and why."

Bado sighed and leaned back against the same tree they'd sat under the day before while waiting for Litleo to appear and take the poképuffs they'd used for bait.

"I got my reasons for being a little opaque, missy." He said tiredly, "But I promise I've been tellin' you nothin' but the truth when I said I wanted to help you. It just so happens helping you with your aims is the most likely thing to help with mine. That's all." He suddenly turned his blue-gray gaze to her and locked eyes with her. Frey almost flinched at the sudden intensity simmering in those eyes beneath his outward nonchalance. She swallowed and bit her lower lip thoughtfully.

"Fine. I'll trust you, then..." She said. He visibly relaxed and folded his arms behind his head, looking for all the world like he intended to have a nap.

"Good to hear." He said contentedly.

"If..." She added, raising an eyebrow and waiting for him to look at her again. "You show me how you keep appearing and disappearing at will." He frowned and she smirked triumphantly. Then he sighed again with a little smile.

"You drive a hard bargain, little lady. But, since I am eager to have this business with Forte settled-whether you believe it or not..." He eyed her, rose to his feet and then reached into a coat pocket and produced a green and black pokéball. "Here." He said, and popped it open.

Frey tensed in anticipation as the ball sounded the release tone but no pokémon appeared from it. She waited a few heartbeats in suspense but nothing happened. The corner of Bado's mouth curled in a self-satisfied smirk. Slackoth, still hanging about his shoulders, mirrored the expression, albeit more slowly.

"Ah, whoops." he said in a completely unconvincing voice. "Must have forgotten. She's been here the whole time." He gestured beside him and an indistinct shape melted up out of his shadow, drawing a gasp from Frey. She stepped back and her two pokémon jumped to their feet and bared their little fangs in warning as the presence coalesced into the form of a black sword with a gold-rimmed shield mounted in front of it on two wings of a sash trailing from the hilt, held almost like hands before it and beneath the center of the shield. "This is Aegislash." He said cheerfully. "I hope you're not scared of ghost-type pokémon Frey."

Frey's eyes widened as she recognized the creature before her for what it was. She shook her head, relaxed her posture and took a step forward, suddenly overcome with curiosity and wonder.

"Amazing..." She murmured. The eye just below the upside-down hilt of the sword blinked with interest at her. She felt certain she'd never seen this type of pokémon before, even before her memory loss, though how she knew she wouldn't have been able to explain.

"Aegislash uses the move 'shadow sneak' to get me out of situations I don't care to be in." Bado explained lightly. "Which includes the company of my foster daughter at the moment." He added in a flatter, almost grumbling tone. Frey looked up at him again.

"Are you really not going to tell me why you want me to defeat her so badly?" She asked.

"I will tell you." He said. Her eyebrows lifted. "Later." He said firmly. Frey sighed and rolled her eyes, but for the moment she was content with having learned of a new and fascinating pokémon. She stooped and rummaged in her bag for a moment, then produced her pokédex and glanced between Aegislash and her trainer.

"May I?" Frey asked. Bado nodded. She held up the device and waited for it to identify Aegislash, who appeared to hold herself with a little extra pride as she was being appriased. Now that she thought about it, though... how could a pokémon that was essentially a sword be female? Perhaps whatever spirit had become this ghost was that of a creature that had been female in life... but such were the mysteries of the only vaguely understood ghost-types, she suposed.

"Aegislash" The pokédex read aloud in its mechanical voice, "The royal sword pokémon. Generations of kings were attended by this pokémon. It is said that whomever it recognizes will become king." Frey snorted at this last point, then blushed and glanced away from her odd companion. It was rude, she knew, but who could ever imagine someone like him being the king of anything? The big man only laughed good-naturedly.

"No offense taken for truths, missy." he said, winking at her. Frey shifted uncomfortably as she registered a suspicion that he had somehow read her thoughts.

"You don't have a psychic pokémon hidden on you too, do you?" She asked warily. He chuckled again.

"Nah. Slackoth's the only other and she certainly ain't readin' anybody's mind." He scratched under his languid little pokémon's chin and she made a slow, satisfied hum. "Anyway. It's probably about time we got started with some real training, ain't it?" He said, hoisting himself up a little taller. A little electric charge went through her as Frey understood him, glancing back at Aegislash, who was suddenly a rather intimidating presence where it hovered above the ground, almost perfectly still in its formal guarding posture.

Within a few minutes, the pair of trainers stood facing one another at ten yards' distance in one of the long stretches of cropped grass on Détourner way. Slackoth lay curled up on Bado's knapsack back under the shady tree nearby, but though the pokémon squaring off before their trainers were Lettie and Aegislash, Leaf had refused to leave Frey's side. His amber eyes watched the improvised battlefield with rapt attention, as if he fully intended to imbibe everything that happened with such determination that he might absorb battle experience by osmosis in the process.

"Before we start," Bado said, holding up a hand to stay Frey and by extension, Lettie, "I want to tell you about Honedge." Frey waited for elaboration, relaxing her stance.

"Forte's pokémon partner?" Frey asked. Bado nodded.

"And Aegislash's first form. Honedge is a pokémon I'm quite familiar with. It's both ghost and steel type, just like Aegislash. It's not her only pokémon, but it is the trickier of the two for you to take down, because it's immune to Lettie's tackle."

Frey blinked at that.

"Ghost type... you're right." She said, hardly hearing herself as she thought hard.

"Your only move right now that'll do you a bit of good is ember, but ember isn't that strong."

Frey glanced down, her eyes darting left and right and her brows knitting together. He was right. If she couldn't use tackle, Leer was useless, too. Trying to muscle through a steel-type pokémon's high defense was generally a losing proposition anyway, though. She looked back up at Bado, eyes determined.

"What do you suggest?" She called.

"You need to train her up a bit until she learns 'work up'" He answered levelly. "Then when it's time to hit with ember, it'll be that much stronger. Maybe enough to do the job." Frey nodded to him.

"No time to lose, in that case!" She barked, grinning fiercely. Lettie echoed her voice with an excited yowl. Bado gave one approving syllable of laughter and then threw out his hand.

"Let's get started then, shall we?"

 


End file.
